Natural Sciences (Biological) @ Jesus, Cambridge in 2018

Interview format

Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment (NSAA); 2x interviews

Interview content

Interview 1: personal statement topics; Interview 2: subject specific questions

Best preparation

Listen to podcasts and read material such as the New Scientist.

Test preparation

Use BMAT past papers as extra preparation material

Final thoughts

Practise explaining concepts aloud.

Remember this advice isn't official. There is no guarantee it will reflect your experience because university applications can change between years. Check the official Cambridge and Oxford websites for more accurate information on this year's application format and the required tests.

Also, someone else's experience may not reflect your own. Most interviews are more like conversations than tests and like, any conversation, they are quite interactive.

Interview Format

Test taken: Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment (NSAA)
Number of interviews: 2
Time between interviews: 30 minutes
Length of interviews: 30 minutes
Online interview: No

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

In the first interview I was asked questions on the topics I had talked about in my personal statement.

In the second interview I was asked what topics I would like to talk about and was then asked questions about those topics.

How did you prepare for your interviews?

I revised A-level content, went over notes about things I had read and done in my personal statement and practised explaining concepts to other people. I also read the New Scientist magazine and listened to relevant podcasts.

If you took a test, how did you prepare?

I used NSAA practice papers (NSAA), revised A Level content and checked the test specification. I also used biology and chemistry related Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) from the BMAT past papers as those were incredibly similar to MCQs in NSAA. 

What advice would you give to future applicants?

Make sure you know about the things on your personal statement, practise explaining concepts to get used to doing it at interview and relax because the interviewers will help you out!